To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

Early Childhood
Research &
Policy Briefs
Fact
Sheet
National Center for
Early Development & Learning
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
Winter 2002 Vol 2, # 2
Transition to Kindergarten
What Policy
Changes Are
Needed?
Strengthen bonds between
preschools and elementary
schools. Policies are needed
that facilitate communica-tion
between preschools and
schools. Important topics
include consistency in
expectations and curriculum
across programs.
Require transition planning
teams in localities. Such
policies would mandate the
formation of transition
planning teams in localities
involving school personnel,
preschool staff, families,
agency workers, and
community leaders.
Strengthen bonds between
families and schools.
Require teacher- training in
building partnerships with
families, especially those
from diverse ethnic and
linguistic backgrounds.
Provide high quality
kindergarten classroom
experiences for children.
Because all children in the
population enter formal
schooling in kindergarten,
policies must be developed
and enacted that insure that
kindergarten programs are
among the highest quality
programs in a school.
T HE TRANSITION TO FORMAL SCHOOLING is a landmark event for
millions of children, families, and educators. But recent
research by the National Center for Early Development &
Learning ( NCEDL) and other investigators indicates that the
transition practices commonly used in schools may not be well suited to
the needs of children and families.
How do US schools support
the transition to kindergarten?
A national survey of nearly 3,600 kindergarten teachers in late l996 by
NCEDL confirmed the results of a more limited 1992 survey. Of the 23
transition practices listed on the survey, the majority of teachers reported
using practices such as:
sending a letter to parents after the beginning of school
holding an open house after school starts
sending a brochure home after school starts
The least commonly reported practices included:
calling the child before or after school starts
visiting the child’s home or preschool program( s)
These results paint a very clear picture of the typical transition experience
for children and families. They are most likely to receive a form letter
telling them when schools starts, what to bring, and that open house is
scheduled for some time near the end of September. They are least likely
to receive a personal call or personalized information before school starts.
The most commonly used transition practices by the nations’ kindergar-ten
teachers and elementary schools, when contrasted with the policies
and practices recommended in “ Ready Schools” published by the National
Education Goals Panel ( 1997), can be characterized very simply as too
little, too late. Commonly used transition activities are low intensity,
group- oriented practices that do little to involve families and build
partnerships prior to entering school. In short, schools wait too long and
do too little to connect with children and families.
Importantly for policymakers, we also asked these teachers to identify
barriers to what they thought would be better or more useful transition
practices than the ones they currently employed. Teachers identified a
number of administrative barriers such as receiving class lists too late to
contact families before school, absence of a plan for developing transition
policy and practices in their district, and a lack of school system support
for effective transition. In addition they noted the lack of funds to
support the time they needed in the summer to conduct good transition
practices.
U. S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education
References & Resources
Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study Team. ( 1995). Cost, quality, and child outcomes in child care centers public report.
Denver: Economics Department, University of Colorado- Denver.
Early, D., Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. ( 1999). Kindergarten teachers and classrooms: A transition context. Early Education
and Development, 10( 1), 25- 46.
Love, J. M., Logue, M. E., Trudeau, J. V., & Thayer, K. ( 1992). Transitions to kindergarten in American schools ( Contract No.
LC 88089001). Portsmouth, NH: US Department of Education.
National Education Goals Panel. ( 1997). The National Education Goals report: Building a nation of learners.
Washington, DC: National Education Goals Panel.
National Education Goals Panel. ( 1998). Ready schools. Washington, DC: National Education Goals Panel.
Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. ( 1999). The transition to kindergarten. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Pianta, R. C., Cox, M. J. Early, D., & Taylor, L. ( 1999). Kindergarten teachers’ practices related to the transition to
school: Results of a national survey. Elementary School Journal, 100( 1), 71- 86.
Pianta, R. C., & Walsh, D. J. ( 1996). High- Risk children in schools: Constructing sustaining relationships. New York:
Routledge.
Ramey, S. L., & Ramey, C. T. ( 1999). The transition to school for “ at- risk” children. In R. C. Pianta & M. J. Cox, ( Eds.),
The transition to kindergarten, ( pp. 217- 251). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Web sites of interest
National Center for Early Development & Learning: www. ncedl. org
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education: www. ed. gov/ offices/ OERI/ ECI/
The primary authors of this brief are Robert Pianta of the University of Virginia and Martha Cox of the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to UNC- CH and the University of Virginia, the other NCEDL partner is the
University of California at Los Angeles. Early Childhood Research and Policy Briefs are produced by the National Center
for Early Development & Learning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under the Educational Research and
Development Centers Program, PR/ Award # R307A60004, as administered by the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, US Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the position of the
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education www. ed. gov/ offices/ OERI/ ECI/, the Office of
Educational Research and Improvement, or the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement
by the federal government.
This brief is in the public domain and may be reproduced without charge. For more informa-tion
or additional copies, contact:
FPG Publications Office
CB# 8185
Chapel Hill, NC 27599- 8185
Phone ( 919) 966- 4221
Email < pubs@ mail. fpg. unc. edu>
The brief may also be downloaded from the NCEDL home page at www. ncedl. org

Early Childhood
Research &
Policy Briefs
Fact
Sheet
National Center for
Early Development & Learning
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
Winter 2002 Vol 2, # 2
Transition to Kindergarten
What Policy
Changes Are
Needed?
Strengthen bonds between
preschools and elementary
schools. Policies are needed
that facilitate communica-tion
between preschools and
schools. Important topics
include consistency in
expectations and curriculum
across programs.
Require transition planning
teams in localities. Such
policies would mandate the
formation of transition
planning teams in localities
involving school personnel,
preschool staff, families,
agency workers, and
community leaders.
Strengthen bonds between
families and schools.
Require teacher- training in
building partnerships with
families, especially those
from diverse ethnic and
linguistic backgrounds.
Provide high quality
kindergarten classroom
experiences for children.
Because all children in the
population enter formal
schooling in kindergarten,
policies must be developed
and enacted that insure that
kindergarten programs are
among the highest quality
programs in a school.
T HE TRANSITION TO FORMAL SCHOOLING is a landmark event for
millions of children, families, and educators. But recent
research by the National Center for Early Development &
Learning ( NCEDL) and other investigators indicates that the
transition practices commonly used in schools may not be well suited to
the needs of children and families.
How do US schools support
the transition to kindergarten?
A national survey of nearly 3,600 kindergarten teachers in late l996 by
NCEDL confirmed the results of a more limited 1992 survey. Of the 23
transition practices listed on the survey, the majority of teachers reported
using practices such as:
sending a letter to parents after the beginning of school
holding an open house after school starts
sending a brochure home after school starts
The least commonly reported practices included:
calling the child before or after school starts
visiting the child’s home or preschool program( s)
These results paint a very clear picture of the typical transition experience
for children and families. They are most likely to receive a form letter
telling them when schools starts, what to bring, and that open house is
scheduled for some time near the end of September. They are least likely
to receive a personal call or personalized information before school starts.
The most commonly used transition practices by the nations’ kindergar-ten
teachers and elementary schools, when contrasted with the policies
and practices recommended in “ Ready Schools” published by the National
Education Goals Panel ( 1997), can be characterized very simply as too
little, too late. Commonly used transition activities are low intensity,
group- oriented practices that do little to involve families and build
partnerships prior to entering school. In short, schools wait too long and
do too little to connect with children and families.
Importantly for policymakers, we also asked these teachers to identify
barriers to what they thought would be better or more useful transition
practices than the ones they currently employed. Teachers identified a
number of administrative barriers such as receiving class lists too late to
contact families before school, absence of a plan for developing transition
policy and practices in their district, and a lack of school system support
for effective transition. In addition they noted the lack of funds to
support the time they needed in the summer to conduct good transition
practices.
U. S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education
References & Resources
Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study Team. ( 1995). Cost, quality, and child outcomes in child care centers public report.
Denver: Economics Department, University of Colorado- Denver.
Early, D., Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. ( 1999). Kindergarten teachers and classrooms: A transition context. Early Education
and Development, 10( 1), 25- 46.
Love, J. M., Logue, M. E., Trudeau, J. V., & Thayer, K. ( 1992). Transitions to kindergarten in American schools ( Contract No.
LC 88089001). Portsmouth, NH: US Department of Education.
National Education Goals Panel. ( 1997). The National Education Goals report: Building a nation of learners.
Washington, DC: National Education Goals Panel.
National Education Goals Panel. ( 1998). Ready schools. Washington, DC: National Education Goals Panel.
Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. ( 1999). The transition to kindergarten. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Pianta, R. C., Cox, M. J. Early, D., & Taylor, L. ( 1999). Kindergarten teachers’ practices related to the transition to
school: Results of a national survey. Elementary School Journal, 100( 1), 71- 86.
Pianta, R. C., & Walsh, D. J. ( 1996). High- Risk children in schools: Constructing sustaining relationships. New York:
Routledge.
Ramey, S. L., & Ramey, C. T. ( 1999). The transition to school for “ at- risk” children. In R. C. Pianta & M. J. Cox, ( Eds.),
The transition to kindergarten, ( pp. 217- 251). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Web sites of interest
National Center for Early Development & Learning: www. ncedl. org
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education: www. ed. gov/ offices/ OERI/ ECI/
The primary authors of this brief are Robert Pianta of the University of Virginia and Martha Cox of the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to UNC- CH and the University of Virginia, the other NCEDL partner is the
University of California at Los Angeles. Early Childhood Research and Policy Briefs are produced by the National Center
for Early Development & Learning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under the Educational Research and
Development Centers Program, PR/ Award # R307A60004, as administered by the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, US Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the position of the
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education www. ed. gov/ offices/ OERI/ ECI/, the Office of
Educational Research and Improvement, or the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement
by the federal government.
This brief is in the public domain and may be reproduced without charge. For more informa-tion
or additional copies, contact:
FPG Publications Office
CB# 8185
Chapel Hill, NC 27599- 8185
Phone ( 919) 966- 4221
Email < pubs@ mail. fpg. unc. edu>
The brief may also be downloaded from the NCEDL home page at www. ncedl. org